14 Most Famous Astronauts Ever
From Apollo member Buzz Aldrin, to the very first man to enter space, Yuri Gargarin, here are 14 Most Famous Astronauts Ever.
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7. Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin became the second man to walk on the moon just shortly after fellow astronaut and flight commander of the Apollo 11 mission Neil Armstrong made those first few famous footsteps. The pair ended up staying on the moon for exactly twenty-one hours and returned to Earth with a forty-six pound haul of moon rocks. Upon his return, Aldrin was bestowed with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. He’s also made several tv and film appearances as himself.
6. Christa McAuliffe
Christa McAuliffe was chosen for the NASA Teacher in Space Project, where she would travel to space to teach two lessons and carry out experiments. Sadly, on the morning of January 28, 1986 the Space Shuttle Challenger that was carrying her and the other six members broke apart just 73 seconds after launch. Though not technically classified as an astronaut, Christa McAuliffe did complete her training and will therefore be honored as such. She would later be awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor posthumously.
5. Tim Peake
Tim Peake was a British Air Corps officer who served the army for 17 years before he left to pursue being an astronaut. He eventually would be picked as a candidate for European Space Agency’s new training program out of 9,000 other possible applicants. He would go on to serve atop of the ISS or International Space Station for six months returning on June 18, 2016. In the following image, you can see the spacecraft that safely brought him back.
4. Valentina Tereshkova
Tereshkova became the first woman ever to be flown into space by the Soviet Union when she just a mere 26-years-old in June of 1963. When she reached orbit she said “It is I Seagull!” which is how she came to be known as Seagull by people all over the world who heard her voice being broadcasted. Her three-day-stint was sadly only a political stunt that was used to upstage America and no other women were allowed into space for almost twenty years later.
3. Neil Armstrong
This is most likely, if not, the most famous astronaut that people know of as you’re taught his story during your earliest years of education. Astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first human being to ever walk on the moon on the day of July 12, 1969 and gave his famous line “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Armstrong wasn’t always an astronaut. Did you know that he actually served in the Korean War and earned the Korean Service Medal?
2. John Glenn
It was back in 1962 that John Glenn would become the first American in the entire world to orbit the planet Earth and solidify his place in the history books. After his safe return to Earth, Glenn was awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal by John F. Kennedy and they would later become close friends. Glenn would eventually go on to serve 24 years in the US Senate. He was recently portrayed in the 2016 movie Hidden Figures by actor Glen Powell.
Before we reveal number one, let us know in the comments below which one of these astronauts you found the most interesting and don’t forget to subscribe! And now...
1. Yuri Gagarin (Guh-garin)
If you don’t know who Yuri Gagarin is, then it’s rather a shame considering the Soviet cosmonaut is the first human being to ever enter into the black void that is space, while simultaneously being the first person to orbit the Earth. This sparked a huge leap in the space race between the United States and Russia during the Cold War. Gagarin is celebrated as the most decorated astronaut of all time because of all the honors that he received when he returned.